“The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before…So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running. For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.” –Jan L. Richardson

Guatemala has proven to be a teacher to me in more ways than one. On my last trip here in October, I was being healed and learning expansion. This trip was about patience and embracing the “what is.” 

That’s how a traffic jam turned into an impromptu highway-side wedding ceremony. Why making Guatemalan Pepian stew requires slow, steady roasting and lots of love. When an ancient cathedral, fireworks, and dancing mythical creatures are just icing on the proverbial cake next to genuine conversations and new connections.

Guatemalan culture doesn’t move at the same pace as America’s, and I think we have something to learn. No one else seemed bothered by the inefficiency of airport staff. Drivers on the jam packed roads didn’t look like they were anywhere near the brink of road rage. Mayan Shamans didn’t rush to pay tribute to air, wind, fire, and Mother Earth. Even the firewood took longer to burn into a slow flame. Life moves at a pace where you can find rest if you let it.

It’s apropos to get lessons in patience during Advent season, a time of waiting, hoping, resting, and anticipating what is to come while embracing what is right now. The idea isn’t only that something good is around the corner; it’s that we have to be present now in order not to miss it.

You see, this could be the moment where we recognize the angel, or the Christ coming into human form, or simply the daily miracles around us. 

When I think about my lungs filling with air through every breath, the beauty of a full moon on a clear night, or the healing of my heart, I recognize everyday, “ordinary magic,” as my friend, Gill Sotu calls it.

When I am connected to what is, I more readily believe there is purpose in the waiting. I see how patience is a virtue. And I continue expecting the magic both around the corner and right now.

[Photo: Mayan Shemanic wedding ceremony in Antigua, Guatemala for my friends David and Carol]